Flexible joint for pipes.



. No. 812,202. PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

W. A. GREENLAW.

FLEXIBLE JOINT FOR PIPES;

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1905.

:2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED FEB. 18, 1906.

w. A. GREENLAW.

FLEXIBLE JOINT ma PIPES.

APPLIOATION FILED 1 190. 1 MAY 5 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

UNITED STATES PATENT oFsroE.

WARREN A. GREENLAW, or BosroN, Massaouusarr'sfassieNoR F ONE-HALF TO WESLEY w. BLAIR, 0F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FLEXIBLE JOINT FOR PIPES.

Specification of, Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed May 18, 1905. Serial No. 260,283.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN A. GREEN- LAW, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain tion between two cars may be reduced.

to be separably connected at one end with find the car for the passage of air for the air brake or of steam for heating if the connection is made by another pipe instead of "by a flexible hose there are required five joints to make a connection as usually made.

. The object of the present invention is to provide a flexible joint for the passage of either steam or air, whereby the number of' joints required in making a separable connec- The invention comprises ahead adapte the trainpipe and having a passage therethrough, a tubular plug adapted to be screwed into the other end of said head, and a ball which is adapted to be inclosed in a chamber between said head and said plug when the 'or' other suitable connection. The

head and plug are connected, the plug and head being formed with concave seats for the ball. The ball has a passa e therethrough which is in alinement wit 1 the passa es through said head and plug-and a tubu ar stem is connected with-or formed integral with said ball which is adapted to be connected with another pipe by a screw-thread assage through the lug is larger than the diameter of the stem 0 the balloint to permit both a swiveling movement oi universal movement to adapt it to he vibrations of the car.

' The invention will now be fully described, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, and the novel features thereof wifi be particularly pointed out in the claims at the close of the specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isan elevation, artly in longitudinal section, of a device emliodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. l, the ball being removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the lower member of the device showuin Fig. l detached. Fig. 4-is a longitudinal section of the .hall and stem dctaclud. Fig. 5 is an end View ol" Fig. 4. Figs.

-6 and 7 are respectively detail side and end the joint a'id also a ling, as by a screw-threau on its seat. Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively detail side and end views of the brass ringwhich rests on the gasket. Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively side and end views of the gasket. Fig.1? is a side elevationof the joint, showing a sixteenth bend in the neck instead of a quarter; as in Fig. 1. Fig. 13 shows the device as ap lied. to the steam-pipe or airbrake pipe ofa train of cars. Fig. 14 is an enlarged view of the connections between two cars shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 15 is a plan of the car connections shown in Fi 13.

In the drawings, A represents the joint as a whole. The head 1 is a shell having a neck 2, which may be either straight or formed with an elbow at any angle desired to adapt it to the application intended. The neck is adapted to ,be connected, as by a screw- .threail, with-the pipe. 3, which may be the train-pipe. Apassage 4 leads through the neck into the interiorof the head and through an annular flange 5. Preferably the passage 20 through the an e is made flaring, enlarging inwardly, and the ends of the flange 5 are concaved on the inner corners to form an unnular concave seat 6 for'the ball 7, the con cavitv being. on the arc of a circle. The mouth of the head or shell is tapped out and is adapted for connection with ascrew-threaded annular plug 8. Said plug 8 is concavcd s on the inner end on the arc of a circle to form a seat 9 for the ball 7, the diameter of the circiameter of the ball 7, so as to allow a slight movement of the ball forward and back, as well as a turning-movement.

The ball 7 is formed with a tubular stem 10, which at its outer end is adapted to be connected with another pipe or with a coup- The stem is shown broken away in Figs. l. -l, and l2,aud the thread is therefore not shown, but will be well understood. passage ll extends through the stem and ball. The plugS is formed with a hole I). l llluugl hi -h the stem of the ball pa ses. the inner end of the hole being sonui'. hat larger in diameter than the slain in and llarcs outwardly, so as p to allow for a lateral movement of lhe stem or other means.

in any direction within the angle permitted close joint.

The annular flange 5 forms an annular chamber between the flange'and the wall of the shell, within WhlOh is a coiled spring 16, surrounding the flange, one-end of the spring abutting against the brass ring 14 and t e other end abutting against the rear end of the said chamber 16. This spring acting through the brass ring holds the asket 1n contact with the ball 7 and norma ly holds the ball on its seat in the plug. It yields, however,-to allow a slight rearward move ment of the ball to soften the shock when the two cars are brought together.

In the modification shown in Fig. 12. the

only difierence from Fig, 1 is in the angle of the crook in the neck 2'.

In the, application of the joint shown in Figs. 13,14, and 15 two cars D E are represented 'provided, res ectively, with trainpipes 3 17, the pipe 3 eing connected with a pipe-Q31 by a joint A, constructed in accordanc with my invention, and the ipe 31 being tonnected with the pipe 32 y another similar joint A. The train-pipe 17 is connected with pipe 18 by a joint A, constructed in accordance with my invention, the neck of the joint being shown as having a crook of a diflcrere angle from the joints in the other pipe. Pipe 18 is connected with pipe 32 by a coupling 19 of an suitable construction. Suitable couplings or this purpose are in well-known use.

While the invention has been described esecially as for use in connection with cars, it is obvious that it is adapted for use wherever a flexible joint in a pipe is required.

The diameter of the larger end of the flaring assage through the annular flange in the head is larger than the diameter of the passage through the ball, so that as the ball rollson its seat the passage in the ball will not be cut off from connection with the assage through the flange. The passage 12 t rough the plug 8 is of sufficient width in its narrowest part to allow all the range of movement that would reasonably .be required of the stem 10 of the ball; The side walls of the passage 12 flare, so that as the stem swin s to one side or the other it will contact wit 1 the wall the full'length of the passa e instead of-at a single point. The width-o the narrower end of the passage 12 should be no on the inner end of greater than the wider end-of the passage in the flan e, so that the stem will en age the side of t e passage 12 and prevent t e turning of the ball far enough to cut ofi the connection of the passage between the ball and the head.

. I claim as my invention- 1. A flexible pipe-j oint, comprising a chambered head having a neck with a passage therethrough into the chamber, a tubular plug having a separable connection with the mouth of said head, a ball inclosed in the.

chamber between said head and plu a concave annular seat for said ball on t e inner end of said plu a stem projectin from said ball out through the hole in the P terior of the chamber, the passa e through the plug being larger than the said stem, an annu ar gasket fitted over said ball and restingv on the inner end of the plug when the ball is on its seat, the hole in the gasket being of less diameter at its inner end than the diameter of the ball so that the asket is seated on the ballas well as on the p u whereby the rearward movement of the be i carries with it the said gasket and washer, an annular. flange 0n the interior of the head around theopening from the neck, said flange projecting into the chamber inthe head, a

coil-spring surrounding said flangei one end of said spr' beingseated on sea -metall1.c washer and tfie other and bearing rear wall of the chamber, said s ring normally holding said ball and gasket to their seats in said tubular 2. Aflexible pipe-joint, comprising achamr bered headhavmg a neck with, a. passage therethrough into the chamber, a tubular plug having a. separable connection the mouth of said head, .a balllincl chamber between said head and; pin ;,a c.o n' .,innercave annular seatfor said ball on; end of said plu a stem projectinfi'gfmm saidball out throug the hole'in the 1: ug,, apes sage through said stem and hall imto the. in-

terror of the chamber, the. paesa 6 through the plug being larger than the said stem, an annu ar gasket fitted over said ball and resting gasket being of less diameter at its inner and gasket, the hole in the washer being of less diameter'i than that of the hole in the asket and taperin well as on t e asket, whereby the rearward ug, a pas-- sage through said stem and ball into the inameter of I ainst the lug, and holding aidv ball and washer away om their seats on osedin the.

lameter, of,

loo

movement of t e ball carries with it the said asket and washer, an annular flange on the interior of the head around theopemng. from the neck, said flange projecting into the chain-' I30 on the inner end of the plug when the ball s on its seat, the hole in the so as to be seated on the ball as 12 5 her in the head, and having a concave seat lug, and'holding said ball and Washer away for the ball when the ball is pushed backward om their seats on said flange. 10 from its seat on the plug, a coil-spring sur- In testimonywhereof I have afiixed my sig rounding said flange, one end of said spring nature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

being seated on said metallic Washer and the WARREN A. GREENLAW. other end bearing against the rear Wall of the Witnesses: v a

chamber, said spring normally holding said WILLIAM A. COPELAND,

ball and gasket to their seats in said tubular WESLEY W. BLAIR. 

